The Possession [2012] ★★

“The Possession” was one of the better horror movies released in 2012, but that’s not saying much. I’m a huge fan of Producer Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” films, but his latest attempt feels awfully repetitive and corny. The plot is pretty basic fare: Jeffrey Dean Morgan is a divorced man, his daughters live with their mother and spend time with him during certain weekends. On one of their visits, they end up in a neighborhood yard sale where the youngest daughter is quickly drawn to a mysterious box engraved with Hebrew inscriptions. When the box is finally opened, she begins to exhibit strange as well as increasingly violent behaviors. Can you guess what happens next? Take a guess please. But hey allow me to draw you a picture in case you couldn’t: The entire flick is full of forced “jumps” and drawn out suspense. I’m all for stretching out the suspenseful moments in horror flicks, so long as there is some kind of pay off. Here there is almost none. I can recall two or three memorable scenes but that’s pretty much it. The sharp performances save it from being a complete waste of time, but at the end of the day, “The Possession” is nothing you haven’t seen before. Damn shame Mr. Raimi.